Japan to bring forward COVID booster shots wherever possible

What we’ve learned: If you rapidly vaccinate virtually everyone eligible, you save lives, you reduce stress on your medical facilities, and you curtail the negative impact on your economy.

No!

Lets follow the science first…

Eight months was too long in the first place, but “wherever possible” is not good enough.

Yes please! I'll be first in line when it comes to my ward.

amid growing concerns about the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, a senior government official said Sunday.

How many in the world have died of, or been hospitalized due to Omicron?

Do we have to rush to get a booster jab every time as another new variant emerges? Omicron is never the final.

My first two were Astra, just had the booster last week (Pfizer) which down here we can have from 6 months after our second vaccination.

Will be interesting to see what comes of the Omicron variant.

I stress it's worthy reporting how many have to date died or sickened due to Omicron.

Variants are likely to emerge and widespread from places of lower vaccination rate like in Sub-Saharan Africa and India, the birthplace of more deadly Delta. Variant crisis could have been avoided or mitigated had vax supply into those critical areas been done smoothly and evenly.

Global and coordinated efforts are needed. Otherwise we would only have to continue to seek another booster nearly chronically or indefinitely alongside disruptive travel bans every time another new variant appears. Though I don't oppose the booster for Japanese, it's also good time to calm and regain perspective which might be more difficult in another time, amid eminent virus panic

Omicron is a mild variant. Healthy people have no reason to get a booster, which is still based on the original Wuhan strain and will therefore be even more ineffective than it was against previous variants. Even the CEO of Moderna was saying people might need to get double-dosed boosters because of Omicron (their vaccines are already about 3x the dose of Pfizer's).

Even the CEO of Moderna was saying people might need to get double-dosed boosters because of Omicron (their vaccines are already about 3x the dose of Pfizer's).

Of course, people need to get a booster for each variant every few months. 8-10 jabs per year isn't too much to ask for peace of mind.

Omicron is a mild variant

Delta is also a mild variant, that has not stopped it from becoming a huge health problems thanks to its increased transmissibility, and the data on omicron has not been yet produced to let it be characterized, it is still possible it is not only more transmissible than delta but also cause more serious disease.

Healthy people have no reason to get a booster, which is still based on the original Wuhan strain and will therefore be even more ineffective than it was against previous variants.

Yes there is a reason, the boosters protect people from all variants until now, even "more ineffective" is still better than not vaccinating. The only problem is that boosters for healthy people come at a point where more vulnerable population elsewhere in the world have not been vaccinated yet. If everybody was already vaccinated there would be no problem with boosting to increase the protection from the added risks from variants.

Of course, people need to get a booster for each variant every few months. 8-10 jabs per year isn't too much to ask for peace of mind.

Imaginary situations from wild exaggerations mean that you have ran out of actual, real arguments against vaccination.

The booster shot was already planned and scheduled before omicron

Why? I thought the vaccines were really good....

Why? I thought the vaccines were really good....

They are, even against new variants product from lack of vaccination. What they are not is perfectly effective to a 100% which is obviously a claim only antivaxxers have ever made.

Bring it on. Arm at the ready.

Why? I thought the vaccines were really good....

That's what the data says. Not what the conspiracy theorists believe though.

Omicron is a mild variant

Delta is also a mild variant, that has not stopped it from becoming a huge health problems thanks to its increased transmissibility,

And Omicron is noticeably milder than Delta. Not only based on the doctors on site, but also based on the testing of sewage water. Until recently, there was a certain relationship between detection of viral sequences in the sewage and the number of cases. Now we have a significant spike in the sewage but a much lower number of cases, suggesting that there are many infected people but most people don't even know they are infected.

Better eight or six months than nothing, but it’s hopefully clear that even six months are still quite a hazardous gamble for many, if you look at the statistical data and immunity decreasing graphs. At least for elderly, men in general, and of course all otherwise vulnerable indicated, I really suggest and recommend much earlier third vaccination or so-called boosting , about four months or so, especially when also considering rising omicron occurrences. Luckily the low infection and spreading numbers here might currently give that time buffer, but that is also not guaranteed for all the coming months of boostings rolled out rather lately.

Give out boosters meanwhile the 3rd would is only about 20% vaccinated....Seems like a bit of hypocrisy going on here

They're not hurrying the boosters, 8 months is already past the period of the vaccines' optimum efficacy

@virusrex

Do you have a valid and rational explanation (in layman's terms) as of why we see more death and obviously an explosion of cases in 2021 compared to 2020 when there was no vaccine available?

If after a booster shot, the efficacy is still waning, what is the long term plan?

Thanks in advance

Do you have a valid and rational explanation (in layman's terms) as of why we see more death and obviously an explosion of cases in 2021 compared to 2020 when there was no vaccine available?

Can you show numbers to support that the assertion within your question as actually being true and being worthy of addressing?

@strangerland

This is intellectually wrong,

There are 60% population entirely vaccinated.

https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/

That alone should be more than enough to bring down the number significantly.

Unless you are the one asserting without any factual evidence that the almost 800 000 deaths are all non vaccinated and non masked...

That alone should be more than enough to bring down the number significantly.

That's not what the scientists I've read have said.

I think I'll take their numbers over yours. They've proven themselves credible...

Unless you are the one asserting without any factual evidence that the almost 800 000 deaths are all non vaccinated and non masked...

No, just the overwhelming majority. Remember, half died last year before there was no vaccine, and the overwhelming number dying are still unvaccinated.

I am ready for my third shot!

Ready for the 4th too, which will be inevitable next winter, I hope by then we can combine our yearly Influenza shots with our yearly Corona shots in one clinic. Hopefully tech will advance that the delivery can be nasally, like Flumist.

I'm rather hoping that this will be recorded in your passport IC chip in future years to simplify traveling.

Asking for a friend, wouldn’t it make sense to give boosters before the holiday travel season?

There is a scientific peer reviewed paper that states that frequent flu shots weakens the immunity and when you catch the flu, the symptoms are usually severe. It should be the same for Covid shots.

There is a scientific peer reviewed paper that states that frequent flu shots weakens the immunity and when you catch the flu, the symptoms are usually severe. It should be the same for Covid shots.

What do you suggest we do?

There is a scientific peer reviewed paper that states that frequent flu shots weakens the immunity and when you catch the flu, the symptoms are usually severe.

Is there? Or is there a paper that says something that you misunderstood, and incorrectly thought it meant what you wrote above?

Asking for a friend, wouldn’t it make sense to give boosters before the holiday travel season?

They already started

Japan is a member of the Covax vaccine donation program whereby unused vaccines get sent to poorer countries.

I already donated my first 2 shots and plan to donate this one as well.

Thanks to my efforts, global inequality is reduced and 3 people in the global south got vaccinated.

Donors to thecovax program pay for vaccines separate for their own use.

Unused vaccines most probably just expire and thrown away.

If the intended recipients who refused the vaccines allotted to them get covid and die then that recipients could be said to have thrown away their lives too

Ian, I know they’ve started with old people and healthcare workers but the vast majority of us won’t get the booster before we travel overseas and no, I can’t put off travel yet again. I’ve put it off for two years already.

It does matter! wants to make accusations about legitimate scientists then have the he/she should stop hiding behind their fake name!

Why? How would that either support or disprove the comment of Virusrex' comments?

A year ago you were against the vaccines because Trump was pushing it! What changed?

I've never been against a scientifically backed vaccine. I think you must have either confused me with another poster, or more likely are twisting something I did say into something I didn't, that you feel meets your agenda.

Ian, I know they’ve started with old people and healthcare workers but the vast majority of us won’t get the booster before we travel overseas and no, I can’t put off travel yet again. I’ve put it off for two years already.

Yes, now that the govt seem to be very concerned with the new variant I think they would want to have as many people as fast as possible to be vaccinated and get the boosters too.

Hopefully they'll bring back the capacity they were able to do before

And Omicron is noticeably milder than Delta. Not only based on the doctors on site, but also based on the testing of sewage water.

There is no epidemiological data comparing both variants, and sewage do not indicate clinical features, blindly assuming the population being infected have the same characteristics is not a scientific argument.

That would make both of your main arguments lacking. Also, it is still possible that omicron ends up doing the same as delta, giving an increase in cases so important that it would completely offset the gains from a milder disease.

Do you have a valid and rational explanation (in layman's terms) as of why we see more death and obviously an explosion of cases in 2021 compared to 2020 when there was no vaccine available?

The Delta variant is what is causing this phenomenon thanks to its very much increased transmissibility, the huge difference is that cases between vaccinated people are much milder than in those not inoculated. This means hospitalization, complication and death rates are decreasing very importantly in correlation with how much of the population is vaccinated.

This situation is predicted to continue (including new variants) until populations reach herd immunity. The long term plan depends on how much of the population can be immunized at a given time. If the vast majority is immune at the same time the risk from COVID decreases to levels observed with influenza for example, and the problem stops being something to give so much attention, if people remain unvaccinated then the current situation will be maintained until the virus runs out of available changes in the spike protein to escape immunity (without compromising its ability to infect).

There are 60% population entirely vaccinated.

https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/

That alone should be more than enough to bring down the number significantly.

No, that is not correct, just compare the percentage of the population being infected with the 40% that is not vaccinated yet. There is plenty of room between unvaccinated people to get sick or die because 60% is nowhere enough to provide herd immunity, specially against delta.

I already donated my first 2 shots and plan to donate this one as well.

Thanks to my efforts, global inequality is reduced and 3 people in the global south got vaccinated.

This applies of course only if you replace the vaccine with the other measures meant to reduce risk, like isolation and frequent testing.

Refusing vaccines and then asking to be treated the same as vaccinated people is not "donating" the vaccines, it is just refusing them.

Japan to bring forward COVID booster shots

What kind of "vaccine" needs constant "booster shots" in intervals of months or less? This is getting ridiculous.

What kind of "vaccine" needs constant "booster shots" in intervals of months or less?

This one.

How dare they create a life saving vaccine for a disease that didn't exist two years ago that requires a booster? I think you guys should go get angry at God for creating a virus that can only be prevented with a vaccine that requires boosters.

Let’s put it to bed eh?

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/safrican-doctor-says-patients-with-omicron-variant-have-very-mild-symptoms-2021-11-28/

Factchecked:Omicron is a mild form of the virus.

@kurisupisu: Sir - You are posting old news from the 29th November that others have recycled from many ,many sources.Same Doctor,Same Hospital. Many changes and many more discoveries every day.

Lets refrain from reposting this, what is now ancient news.

Japan will shorten the current eight-month interval between the second and third COVID-19 vaccine shots "wherever possible," amid growing concerns about the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, a senior government official said Sunday.

Why was it 8 months in the first place? Or, why were other countries at 6 months?

P. SmithToday  01:30 pm JST

Odd that when one of your super fans gets a timeout, another poster with very similar writing styles takes over.

Good luck, Zichi.

Paranoia much?

Many thanks @virusrex for your answers.

If I can follow up;

Is herd immunity achieveable knowing that the current vaccine are not 100% efficient and not sterilizing.

If yes, what is the Percentage of population required?

If no, what is the impact on repeated boosters? Could it impact the immunity especially if new variant with different spike protein appears?

Funny how it hasn’t stopped or even slowed covid down where it’s been used extensively.

Um, Japan?